Seasons
by veiledndarkness
Summary: Throughout the months... Warning: Preslash
1. Winter

Author: veiledndarkness

Title: Seasons 1/4

Rating: PG

Summary: Throughout the winter months...

Pairing: PreSlash, Bobby/Jack

Warnings: Not mine, never will be.

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The first winter that Jack spends in the Mercer home is somewhat overwhelming. He arrives in mid-October, and is promptly swept into a blur of Halloween preparations and consequently his first experience with trick or treating

Thanksgiving is hectic and noisy and warm. Jack helps bring the hockey equipment to the rink and watches the boys play, his breath fogging up Bobby's car on the ride home. Bobby lets Jack curl up to him, with murmured promises that next year Jack can play too, words that he clings to.

Christmas rolls around all too soon and Jack is intrigued by the seemingly endless trays of cookies and treats that Evelyn makes. He is put in charge of wrapping the jars of cookies, gifts for people that Evelyn knows. He prints as neatly as possible and ignores Bobby's remark that only fairy boys care about making the gift tags pretty.

Evelyn takes Jack to the mall and gives him a set amount as to how much he can spend on each brother. Jack takes the whole afternoon, painstakingly choosing each gift. He wraps each one himself, taping the corners down precisely. In almost three months, Jack already feels a part of the family, and he's treated like he was never new to begin with. On Christmas morning he's so wound up and nervous that Bobby pulls him onto his lap with a somewhat stern admonishment to 'calm down already for the love of God, Jackie!'

The gifts are opened gradually. Jack sits, curled up on Bobby's lap still, watching everyone open the gifts he chose. The gifts are well received. Bobby opens his, amazed when he sees the simple silver lighter, his name etched on it. Bobby thanks Jack and throws a balled-up lump of tissue paper at Jerry when he makes a smart-ass joke about his past and the things he does with his lighter.

The winter drags on. Jack builds forts with the boys, learns how to make the perfect snowball and is finally taught to skate. He wobbles and falls constantly, but gradually gets the hang of it. Bobby helps him up, laughing when Jack falls down repeatedly.

One night, shortly before the first day of spring, Bobby finds Jack on the bedroom window roof-ledge. He sighs and takes his sweater off, placing it on Jack, who takes it without complaint. Jack tells him everything that he's learned about the stars and planets and other planets in school. Bobby listens, Jack resting his head on Bobby's shoulder, his breath puffing in front of them. He brushes a kiss over Jack's forehead, pleased that he no longer cringes or ducks out of his reach.

Jack wishes that winter would last longer as he's had such fun. Bobby promises that the other months are just as good and firmly tells Jack to come inside before he freezes to death. Jack follows him without question, the snowflakes falling lazily then.

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	2. Spring

Author: veiledndarkness

Title: Seasons 2/4

Pairing: PreSlash, Bobby/Jack

Rating: PG

Summary: Throughout the spring months...

Warnings: Not mine, never will be.

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Spring arrives, bearing Jack's first birthday in the Mercer home. He's stunned by the gifts and the huge chocolate cake that Evelyn's made for the day. He eats a large piece, savoring every mouthful. His 13th birthday is the best that he can remember.

Jack finds that Bobby was right about the spring time. He rides Jerry's old bike around the neighborhood, taking great delight in riding through a wild rainstorm, the droplets stinging as they pelt him. Despite Bobby's insistent and vigorous swears Jack does not develop pneumonia, although his ears burn in memory of how Bobby fussed over him, scolding him the whole time.

He helps Evelyn in her garden and learns the difference between weeds, herbs, and flowers. He shyly calls her 'Mom' one day and receives a bone-crushing hug from her for it. He explores the kitchen, experimenting with foods, and much to Evelyn's delighted pride, becomes quite efficient and skilled at cooking.

Bobby leaves for a month and when he returns, he declares that Jack had surely grown almost two inches while he was away. He doesn't speak about where he's been and Jack is too shy to ask. He accepts Bobby's presence, having missed him badly while he was gone.

Bobby gives him a pair of rollerblades and begins to teach him the rules of street hockey, and thus, ice hockey, Mercer-style. Jack fumbles a lot at first, Bobby patiently showing him over and over how to fall properly, how to swing the stick and block an attack. Evelyn fusses over his bruises and chides Bobby for being too rough. Bobby and Jack exchange eye-rolls and laugh when she threatens to ground them both.

He catches Jack smoking one fairly warm evening and watches as he struggles to think of a good excuse. Bobby smirks and ruffles his hair, stealing a cigarette from his pack. They smoke in silence together.

As the weather grows warmer, Jack finds himself sitting closer to Bobby than before. He listens to the stories that Bobby tells him sometimes, and swipes sips of his beer when he thinks Bobby isn't looking. He lets his mind wander ahead to the summer, and daydreams, a silly grin on his face as he does so.

Bobby hugs him closer, listening to the birds in the trees nearby, chirping as the spring sun sets.

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	3. Summer

Author: veiledndarkness

Title: Seasons 3/4

Rating: PG

Summary: Throughout the summer months...

Warnings: Not mine, never will be.

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Jack throws himself whole-heartedly into the summer, free from the shackles of school, free to enjoy the warm months. Evelyn praises him for his grades, proudly displaying his report card for all to see on the fridge. The casual congratulations from his brothers, and the delight on Evelyn's face makes Jack feel as though he's accomplished something incredible rather than passing the eighth grade with decent marks.

He spends more time with Evelyn in the garden, crowing with joy when his cherry tomatoes grow to ripeness. Bobby plucks a handful from Jack's basket, winking at him as he chews them. Jack stares at the soil, his ears hot. His hormones seemingly run wild over the summer and he finds himself staring longingly at Bobby more and more now.

Angel and Jerry take Jack to the basketball courts and try to teach him how to flirt properly with the girls who gather by the fences. Jack refuses to, insisting that he'd rather focus on his aim with the nets. Evelyn ensures that Jack goes to many places, wanting him to experience things that he missed out on when he was younger.

He spends muggy afternoons at the pool with Bobby and Angel. He squirms despite himself when Bobby picks him up, cradling him in his arms briefly before dropping him into the water repeatedly. Some days are too warm to do anything but rest, half-asleep in the late morning sun. Evelyn takes him to the library and opens an account for him. He brings home stacks of books, ignoring Bobby's comments on how bookworms have a harder time getting laid.

Although he scoffs at first, Bobby sits with Jack when he reads, his lips moving sometimes as he reads along with him. Never the strongest reader and having left school at an early age, Bobby struggles to read occasionally, though he never admits it out loud. Jack reassures him that his street smarts mean just as much while they work through his assigned summer reading list together.

As August draws to an end, Jack mourns the loss of summer. Bobby shrugs and tells him not to be so sad, that falls just as good as summer. Jack looks up at Bobby, gnawing on his lower lip, perched next to him on 'their' part of the roof as he's come to think of it. Bobby glances at him, his hand cupped around his lighter, the very same one that Jack had given to him, and half-smiles, his lips quirking as he lights his cigarette. Jack haltingly mumbles something and then cringes, fearing the worst.

Bobby stares at him, a light slowly filling his eyes. Jack edges away from him, embarrassed and horrified that he spoke the words aloud. Bobby pulls him close and hugs him roughly, brushing his chapped lips over Jack's forehead.

_'Love you too, kiddo,'_ he murmurs affectionately and though Jack is certain that Bobby meant strictly like a brother, rather than how he feel, he smiles and nods because he'll take anything that Bobby's willing to give him.

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	4. Fall

Author: veiledndarkness

Title: Seasons 4/4

Rating: PG

Summary: Throughout the fall months...

Warnings: Not mine, never will be.

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Evelyn cheerfully drags Jack from bed on the first day of school, ignoring his half-hearted protests. Bobby steals a pen from Jack while he gets dressed, and then, once finished, slips the pen back into his bag, a half-smile curving his lips.

Jack makes it to lunch, shuddering as he slumps over in his chair, staring mournfully out the window. The weather is still teasingly warm and he longs to take another dip in the pool or spend one more afternoon, half asleep beside Bobby while they read.

He eats his lunch, glaring at nothing in particular when a folded-over paper at the bottom of his lunch bag catches his eye. Jack looks around for privacy and unfolds the note. Bobby's scribbly, always messy writing sprawls across the page.

_Anyone gives you shit, you let me know. A few busted teeth always spreads the word._

Jack smiles for the first time that day. He refolds the note and tucks it into his wallet for safe keeping. School goes on. He does decent work, though his passion lies in his music classes. As the leaves change color, Jack shoots up another three inches, all gangly limbs and messy hair.

He gathers apples with Evelyn and learns how to make pies. He rakes the yard for her and whoops loudly as he jumps into the leaf piles, throwing fistfuls in the air. Bobby tells him flatly that he looks ridiculous. Jack shrugs and stuffs a handful of leaves down Bobby's shirt, laughing uproariously at the outrage on his face. Bobby tackles him in the leaf pile, much to his enjoyment.

This year on Halloween, Jack helps handout candy to the smaller children and gorges himself on caramel-coated candy apples. Bobby laughs when he complains of a bellyache, but still lets him curl up to him on the couch, taking small sips of flat ginger ale.

It gets cold and before he knows it, winter is setting in again. Jack perfects the art of making excellent hot chocolate, much to Bobby's delight as his love of all things chocolate is well known in the family. They share mugs, huddled together under a thick blanket while they watch the stars. Jack rests his head against Bobby's chest, Bobby's heavy arm wrapped protectively around him.

Jack breathes out, his breath mere puffs in the frigid air. He thinks back over the year and finds himself overwhelmingly grateful for everything that Evelyn and his brothers have done for him. He peers up at Bobby for a moment, a look of pure longing naked on his young face. He blinks and smiles faintly, burrowing closer to his warm chest, content for now to have Bobby to himself, even if only like this.

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End file.
